Synchronous Photoluminescence Intermittency (Blinking) along Whole Semiconductor Quantum Wires

Photoluminescence microscopy studies have detected synchronous-photoluminescence-intensity fluctuations along entire cadmium selenide
quantum wires under continuous illumination. While similar photoluminescence blinking has been reported previously for semiconductor
quantum dots and rods, the observation of synchronous blinking spanning the entire length of quantum wires, with diameters ≈9 nm and
lengths >5 μm, is remarkable. We propose a mechanism to account for the synchronous blinking that is based on a dynamic, photolytic filling
of surface-trap sites.